NORTHAMPTON will surely have been far more frustrated by the 39th-minute abandonment of this match than Town.

Guiding a three-quarters-of-a-ton car along the M1 in the high winds was tricky, so keeping control of a 15-ounce sphere of leather and air can't have been easy.

But the conditions were the same for both sides, and there's no doubt the home team adapted the better.

And while the wind was strong enough to rip advertising hoardings from the roof of the stands, so putting the safety of spectators in unacceptable jeopardy, it can't be an excuse for the desperately misjudged Efe Sodje back pass which paved the way to Northampton's fourth-minute goal.

The ball slipped beautifully into the path of Marc Richards, who advanced into the penalty area and slotted a low right-foot shot into the left-hand corner of the net.

By all accounts the former Blackburn striker, who had a spell on loan at Halifax in 2002, has been low on confidence since joining Northampton last summer.

But there was nothing wrong with an assured finish which gave advancing goalkeeper Paul Rachubka no chance.

It was to prove Northampton's only real effort on goal, but they always looked livelier and more likely to score than Town, whose best chance came after just 90 seconds, when midfielder Tony Carss, looking to use the wind, fired in a long-range left-foot shot which goalkeeper Lee Harper had to stretch to safely collect.

Carss also tested Harper with a looping header on six minutes, but in general, Town's approach play was too laborious to cause the home side any real worries.

Too many balls were pumped into the air when short, low passes were far more suited to the conditions, and while Steve Yates, fit again after a hamstring strain to take the place of ankle injury victim Nathan Clarke, looked solid at centre-back, Town's defence was far too creaky for comfort.

The only consolation for the 1,250 travelling fans was that McAlpine old boy Martin Smith, booed every time he touched the ball, failed to find the net, although he did fire in a couple of tricky corners as well as a low driven free-kick which was cleared by Danny Schofield.

Midfielder Schofield has looked a little out of touch in recent games, but he, Jon Worthington and Pawel Abbott were the ones who at least looked like they were taking the conditions into consideration.

Northampton, with the hard-working Chris Hargreaves and Paul Trollope exerting a strong grip in the middle, were more muscular, more direct and more dangerous, and there was little sign that Town were capable of getting back into this game.

The home side will be desperate to complete unfinished business when the match is played again.